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Thursday, December 28, 2017

If you have followed this blog for long, you know I am a big
believer in kayaks. I absolutely believe they are the most fun you can have
fishing. The excitement of being down there with the action and having a large
fish pull you around is absolutely unmatched
in the outdoors. Couple that with the ability to go places boats cannot and the
ability to go there silently makes them the perfect fishing platform.

I am not the only person who recognizes this and kayaks are
getting more and more popular. Innovations are being made and the boundaries
are being pushed in what they can do. Gone are the days that kayaks are used
solely for touring. You name a water based outdoor adventure and someone has probably
done it in a kayak.

One of the last frontiers we are seeing with kayaks is
hunting. A few years ago I started seeing my friends go out duck hunting in their
kayak. Some have even attempted larger game, gaining access to hard to reach
public land for deer, turkey, and varmints.

You can sneak up close to game in a kayak

Like kayak fishing, kayak hunting requires careful planning and
gear selection. It takes a lot of effort, but the effort is often well worth it.

The first thing you need to look into is the laws concerning
both boating and hunting. It can get complex depending on your area. In my
state, it is illegal to shoot deer from a boat. You also must have safety
lights, even on a kayak, at night. Your state or country will have different
laws, so just go over them carefully before you do anything else.

After you make sure you are doing everything legally, you
need to make sure you do everything safely. For this you will need some gear.
The most obvious is a PFD. If you are in a kayak you should be wearing one. Period.
Other than drowning, the biggest danger is hypothermia. Hunting is mostly done
in cold weather. A dunk in a lake with your normal hunting cloths in near
freezing weather is deadly. You will get very cold very quickly. You need to be
wearing a good pair of insulated waders with a belt (so they do not fill up)
and a dry top. A dry top is a pullover type jacket that is designed to keep you
dry. They are somewhat expensive, but just as necessary as a PFD. Another
option would be a complete dry suit. Although they can be on the spendy side.

Another consideration is your kayak itself. A small kayak
might not cut it. It needs to be able to carry you, your gear, and your kill. Check
its weight rating and add at least 150 pounds to your weight. Can it handle it?

Some of my closest wildlife encounters have been from a kayak

Ok, so you have squared away the legal and safety stuff, now
onto the fun stuff!

The main purpose of a kayak when hunting is to get you to a
good spot, a spot no one else has access too. Sometime this means an hour or
more paddling. Be sure you have a good seat so you can sit comfortably. A good
paddle is also important. I like a long touring paddle, but you will need to
try several to find a type that fits your style.

Depending on your quarry, you may need some specific hunting
gear.

Duck hunting requires the most gear. They sell some amazing
camo for kayaks. You can turn it into a small floating blind if you wish! Some people
I know tow a small raft for all their decoys and camo. Waterproof storage of
ammo and your gun should also be considered. My kayak has a waterproof opening in
the center that fits a shotgun perfectly, however not all do. You need to
carefully consider this.

I need to throw a blanket in there to protect my baby

Deer and other larger game come with their own needs. Most
importantly, how are you going to bring your kill back? For small game there
are specially designed coolers to keep your catch on ice.
Larger game will need to be lashed to the deck of your kayak. This can get very
tricky. You need to have the straps and a good plan for accomplishing this. Having
a deer fall off your kayak or causing you to capsize is a nightmare I don’t
even want to think about!

Using a kayak to hunt can give you the edge you need,
especially on public land. However, it does come with a lot of extra
considerations. Do your homework. Make a plan. Get the right gear. You will not
regret it!

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Wow! I have been going through a lot of changes lately! Two
fairly big ones that affect this blog.

First, I got a new truck! I drove my old ’99 Toyota Tacoma
for most of my adult life and loved it. However, it had a major rust problem. I
could put my fist through some of the holes in its frame. Considering I drove
my kids around in it, I just did not feel safe in it any more.

So, I got a Honda Ridgeline!

Big upgrade. It is nicer than the Toyota in almost every
way. Safer to be sure, but also much, much more cargo capacity.

Change #2: We are moving out of the city and into the mountains!

Yea, this is the big one.

I’m not going to go into details, but moving is complicated.
The company is paying for the move, so we have movers. Naturally, there is a
gap between when our stuff leaves and when it arrives. So for this three or
four day period my family, complete with three dogs, will be living with just
what we can fit in that new truck.

Oh yea, I forgot to mention that the moving company will not
move some things. Namely firearms and ammunition……. I have a lot of those. So,
they need to find a place in my truck also.

As you can imagine, I am looking for ways to expand the
storage in my truck. There are many options, but for me the best bet is going
to be the Big Daddy Car Roof Bag.

This thing is amazing! First of all, I don’t need a roof
rack to use it. It works with roof racks, but if you don’t have one, no
problem. It uses straps that install
through your cabin making it super secure. It is also fairly easy to install. Easier
than a traditional rooftop carrier to be sure.

It is also large. 14 cubic feet large! That is the size of
the trunk in my wife’s car! We will be able to get most of our “extra” stuff up
there. If you are going camping it would fit your tent, four sleeping bags and
mats, plus your food with room to spare! 14 cubic feet might not sound like a
lot, but it is!

Now, some rooftop bags have a problem with leaking. Not this
one. It is rubberized and sealed. The stuff inside will not get wet. Period.
This was a big sticking point for me. We will be moving in the dead of winter
and it will be our household stuff up there, it cannot get wet.

I don’t plan on using mine often so storage of the
actual bag when I’m not using it is a concern. Thankfully it is fully collapsible
and stuffs down into a stuff bag. Much smaller than a sleeping bag. Easy peazy!
I can just store it with my camping gear.

I should probably mention how inexpensive it is. Very
inexpensive. You can buy them from their web site for £69.99 (about $94) or on
Amazon. Here is a link to the
Amazon listing. They are out of stock on Amazon right now, but I have been
told that they will be back in stock mid January. This comes with everything, including all the straps you need plus a roof mat and stuff bag!

If you are looking for roof top storage for your car or
truck, I recommend trying the Big Daddy
Car Roof Bag. I think it is a good choice!

While you are on their web site, check out their other products. They have a lot of unique, well designed products, including a kids camping cot. I think we will see a lot more out of this company in the future.

Friday, December 15, 2017

If you are just starting
to take up fishing or an active fisher for years, this articles information
will make you a top perch fisherman. You will be able to learn the necessary
technique that will allow you get a good catch, and you will not have to return
empty-handed when you learn how to catch yellow perch in this article.

Yellow perch is United
States and Canadian fish found in freshwater. These fish are referred to more
simply as just "perch", a light yellow overall body colour with dark
vertical lines down each side. Its size varies from between 4 and 15 inches in
length (Commonly a maximum around 40cm) and usually stops at four pounds. The
meat flavour is very sweet, easy to fillet from the fish, and tastes excellent
deep fried in a flour based batter.

Perch is a regular name
for several various types different fish species, it's common relatives are European redfin perch, and Balkhash perch. They are a carnivorous
freshwater fish and are usually found in rivers, lakes, ponds, farmers water
storages and streams. Their diet consists of shellfish, small fish, and water
breeding insects. They are by far the most popular freshwater fish among
fishermen, they commonly travel only in schools and become most active during
dawn and at dusk, both times are commonly associated with when they are most
prone to seek food.

You do not need a thick
fishing line and a long fishing rod to catch perch.

You only need a 6 lbs
line and the lightweight fishing rod to get started. The yellow perch also love
live bait, and you can use baby perch as bait which is very productive. You
have the absolute best opportunity to catch perch in live bait. Ensure small
hooks are used as yellow perch are not a big fish, so you will need a small
hook to ensure your fish always hooks up after taking a bite at your bait or
lures. A small hook and a small piece cut from a live worm will do wonders for
you.

Fish in and around rock
beds, and also weed beds, as these fish often use areas such as this to hide,
waiting to feed on other small species, including their own.

The best advice is not
to fish for perch swimming in large open waters. It also implies that you won’t
find this fish in a large open body of water. Often the most productive fishing
can be had in the morning or right after dinner, just before and during sunset.

Perch will frequently
school with other small fish such as smaller bass. Generally where you find one,
there are many others around the same area. Trolling a lure or casting a
weedless lure directly over weed beds can make the fishing better too.
Synthetic fishing lures often work extremely well, but you have to pick
the right type; otherwise, you're wasting your time. A lightweight jig as well
as a set of poppers is what we recommend.

Although methods of
fishing for perch have changed over the decades, their love for food has not.
Live bait in the form of smaller fish is usually much more effective than using
artificial fishing lures. One of the best baits to use is soft shell crayfish.
This kind of bait works throughout the year. If the soft shells are not
available, then freshwater minnows definitely work perfectly in the cold water,
while night crawlers regularly work better with warmer water, you can also use
google to find a fishing
store online to obtain lures and fishing
information.

A crappie rig provides
an excellent way to catch perch, they can also be used to test and see whether
fish are biting your area. Personally, I like to rig up various live baits in a
simple crappie rig and troll to see what is striking. Once I know, I will
double up the bait on the rig and start taking on the fish, loading up the
boat. Nothing is more exciting than times when you are able to nail two big
perch in one go.

If crappie rigs are not
your cup of tea, a simple slip based bobber setup used floating and waiting for
a strike, will also work very well.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

The most trustworthy tool for splitting your logs into
firewood size chunks is of course an axe. It’s simple and easy to use. It has
no moving parts so there’s not a lot to break. And, if you do break a handle,
on most models it’s replaceable.

Axes have two major drawbacks however.

The first is that they are slow. You are very limited with
how much wood you can split when using an axe. Even if you work quickly, you
will eventually run out of steam.

The second is that as you age, you might not be as strong as
you once were. Swinging an axe might even become too much of a physical
burden.

And, if you injure yourself, forget about it. You just won’t
be able to effectively split wood using an axe.

Luckily, we live in the time of engineering. We don’t need
to rely on simple tools and can instead use a much more efficient approach: log
splitters.

The Case for Going Gas-Powered

Gas-powered splitters are for serious business. They are
designed to churn through more logs in a day than you could probably handle
with an axe in a week.

Most gas-powered splitters have a much higher ceiling for
the amount of work you can get done than their electric splitter
counterparts. So, if your only
consideration is doing as much work as possible in a certain period time, going
with a gas-powered option is a no brainer.

They do have some negatives though depending on your
situation.

The major setback on gas-powered splitters is that emit lots
of fumes. If you are working inside a garage or barn, or somewhere without a
lot of decent ventilation, you are not going to want to use one.

Also, they tend to be very heavy and expensive. So, they are
not for casual work.

You should only really considering use this type of splitter
if you know you are going to get your money’s worth and you have a way to lug
it around.

The Case for Going Electric

If a gas-powered splitter is a little too much for your
needs, then you should consider all that electric splitters have to offer.

They are much more efficient than trying to work with an
axe. You’ll work faster and you don’t need to be in prime physical shape to get
your work done.

They tend to be lighter than their gas-powered counterparts,
and you can use them indoors since they don’t have any kind of exhaust.

In most cases they are not quite as powerful as gas-powered
models, but they will be able to handle most of the work that anyone could
throw at one for personal use.

Conclusion

When it’s time to put down the axe and look for a more
efficient wood splitting solution, you have a couple of choices to make. Do you
want to go gas-powered or electric?

For most people an electric splitter will be enough. But, if
you have more serious jobs, you might want to splurge and go with a more powerful
gas-powered option.

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